US Iran War News: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her unnamed daughter in Los Angeles on Friday after the State Department revoked their green cards, claiming the two are the niece and grand-niece of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Afshar as a public supporter of the Iranian regime who “celebrated attacks on Americans.” The Soleimani family flatly denies any connection.

Who Is Hamideh Soleimani Afshar?

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar is an Iranian national who, according to the U.S. State Department, had been living in Los Angeles for several years as a lawful permanent resident - a green card holder. The State Department claims she is the niece of General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport in January 2020 - a strike ordered by President Trump during his first term. Beyond her alleged family connection, the U.S. government has not publicly detailed her profession or specific activities. What it has alleged is a pattern of public behaviour it considers incompatible with residency in the United States.

What Does the U.S. Government Claim She Did?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was explicit on X. He described Afshar as “an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.'” The State Department’s statement claimed she and her daughter had been living a “lavish lifestyle” in Los Angeles while publicly backing the Iranian government and anti-American attacks. Rubio added: “The Trump administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Afshar, her daughter, and two other unnamed Iranian nationals were no longer eligible for lawful permanent resident status or entry into the United States. Afshar’s husband has additionally been barred from entering the country. All four are being deported, officials told the Associated Press.

US Iran War News: What Did the Soleimani Family Say?

Tehran pushed back immediately and completely. Zeinab Soleimani - one of General Soleimani’s daughters - said in a statement carried by Iranian news agency Fars: “The US State Department’s claim is a lie: the people arrested in the United States have no connection to the family.” A second daughter, Narjes Soleimani - a member of Tehran’s Islamic City Council - was quoted by Iranian state television saying: “To this day, no member of the family nor any relative of Martyr Soleimani has resided in the United States.” The Iranian mission to the United Nations had made no comment as of Saturday. Iran has no formal diplomatic relations with the United States, complicating any official channel for disputing the claims.

Who Is Qassem Soleimani - and Why Does His Name Still Matter?

Qassem Soleimani led the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was in charge of Iran’s military operations abroad, proxy assistance, and clandestine operations throughout the Middle East. He was a key architect of Tehran’s network of regional influence and one of the most influential people in the Iranian state. His killing in a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020, during Trump’s first term, was one of the most consequential and controversial acts of that presidency. Iran vowed revenge. His death remains a defining moment in U.S.-Iran relations - and his name carries enormous symbolic and political weight in both countries, especially now that the two nations are in direct military conflict.

Is This Part of a Wider U.S. Campaign Against Iranian Nationals?

Yes - and it has been building for months. The arrest of Afshar and her daughter is the latest in a series of visa and green card revocations targeting Iranians with alleged regime ties. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an academic and daughter of Iran’s former national security adviser Ali Larijani - who was killed in a U.S.-Israel airstrike last month - also had her visa revoked, along with her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Neither remains in the United States. In early December, before the current war began, the State Department revoked or declined to renew visas of several Iranian diplomats including the deputy ambassador and staffers at Iran’s UN mission. The actions reflect a systematic effort by the Trump administration to remove Iranian nationals it considers connected to or sympathetic toward the Tehran government.